CareOne patient found dead after wandering off from Parsippany, NJ facility

PARISPPANY — A man with dementia who wandered off from an assisted living facility did not survive the elements and had already passed away when searchers eventually located him on Saturday.

He had been gone from the facility for about 90 minutes before staff learned of the situation and contacted police.

John Eschenbach's body was discovered about 15 hours after he left the CareOne facility on Mazda Brook Road. According to the county prosecutor's office, John was found deceased in a tree line along Route 80.

There was no indication of foul play and nothing suspicious was reported, the prosecutor's office said.

"On Friday night around 9 p.m. a resident left the facility by walking out on his own," said Eric Bloom, a spokesperson for CareOne at Parsippany. "Upon learning of the situation, our staff immediately contacted authorities and began its own thorough search for the resident. Through the night and Saturday we continued to cooperate and work with emergency services in the search."

According to county officials, the Parsippany Police Department was notified of the missing patient at approximately 10:29 p.m. on Friday.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and we are in communication with them," Bloom added. "The facility's top priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents."

John suffered from "dementia and other medical issues," according to police.

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

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